Schuran Calcium Reactor - still having tons of issues!

S

Spar

Membership Expired
Have had my Schuran hooked up for well over a month now and am still having daily issues with it.

I have it plumbed via my overflow pump, Mag 9.5 with an airline-hose T.

I tried just having the ball-valve on the input of the pump in the beginning but it kept getting clogged and stopping flow. The pH monitor would see too high of pH and waste co2.

So then I tried having the ball-valve on the output. This also kept getting clogged, but instead of just stopping flow, as the co2 would progress, it would cause a back-flow of water back through the reactor and into my tank. Also injecting co2 directly into my water by doing this once no more water was in the reactor.

So now I went back to the safer route (just wasteful) and put the ball-valve on the input again but am getting my same old trouble of inconsistent flow and clogging.

Any idea when or how I can win this battle? Could it be too low pressure from my pump entering the reactor?
 
I don't know about what is backing it up? But I use a mini-jet to get water into my calcium reactor. It pumps like 12 gallons per hr. and it never clogs up. I would try using a small pump separate from the return pump and see if that works. Maybe the large return pump is able to suck in large enough particles to clog up the small size of your ball valves that you are using for your reactor. A smaller separate pump with a screen might filter out those larger particles and not clog the lines up.
 
what speed mini-jet you think I should get? There is a 404 and 604 on Premium Aquatics:

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Maxijet

Nice to see such low watts on these! What about using a filter on it; or is that even an option with them?
 
I use a maxijet to feed mine also and have no issues. You could put a filter if need be. I've honestly never had an issue with mine and I've had it on a maxijet for almost 3 years.
 
How do you have this setup? Do you have the entire pump pressure going to the reactor or do you have a T on it to allow for water flow to continue pass any excess pressure going to the reactor? [wasn't sure how to word that... hopefully makes sense :roll: ]
 
@Spar wrote:
How do you have this setup? Do you have the entire pump pressure going to the reactor or do you have a T on it to allow for water flow to continue pass any excess pressure going to the reactor? [wasn't sure how to word that... hopefully makes sense :roll: ] said:
I use the smallest one, I think it is the 404. Of course I feed my reactor from the refugium that is right next to it and have no head loss at all. I feed the whole pump into the reactor and have a valve on the outlet side of the reactor that controls the flow rate. The inlets on this pump are so small there is really no way to add a filter and really no need.
Click to expand...
 
I used to run mine exactly like Rick (for over 2 years on my 135) but now I have a maxijet t'd off to also feed my 4 phosban reactors.
 
I have 2 Phosban Reactors so will just do the same with it.

Mind sharing a picture of your Manifold separating out water passages?
 
On the ReefTek I think it called for a MaxiJet 1200. Maybe what I read elsewhere, but that is what is on mine and has been there for a year. I will admit after a cleaning it took me forever to get it redialed in. But been steady ever since.

The only valve on mine is a needle valve on the output side. I might have to try the manifold for the phosban reactor. All though I am not sure I want to mess with a good thing.
 
i use a maxijet 1200 right now, but so much gunk gets in my Phosban reactors that it cloggs it up within the month. maybe I am just filling the Phosban's too full? 2 Cups carbon each.
 
If you have a pump BEFORE the Phosban Reactor or the Calcium reactor, they really shouldn't clog at all. I don't have that problem ever. Maybe it has to do with where these pumps are located in your sump, in an area where detritus is known to gather.

For phosphate removal, I only put in about 1-2" of media. For carbon, I fill it up quite a bit.

Once they are refilled, I hook up the MaxiJet pump and route the tubing into a bucket nearby to let the first three gallons flow through the media to rinse it clean. Once I can see the reactor is clear water and not discolored, I'll put the output tubing back into the sump.

My Calcium reactor's output has never clogged, but then again mine doesn't drip. It trickles non-stop.
 
@Marc wrote:
Maybe it has to do with where these pumps are located in your sump said:
That is the case in my situation. I should probably vacuum out some of it soon anyway. See if that helps the situation.

What size tubing do you all use that fits over the Maxijet output? or do you accomplish this a different way? I had to silicone some pvc on to it and put a fitting into it. probably wasn't necessary.
Click to expand...
 
If there is no other place to put it you should wither mountit high on the wall or come up with some kind of filter. I always put it in my return section of my sump.
 
could both mount it high and put it in the return section of my sump :)

thanks for the advice everyone, I am going to work on this over the weekend.

Still wanting more info on:

1) tubing size that fits over the MJ 600 or 1200's.

2) manifold for separating water out. I have a manifold currently built, but is too bulky. Marc had posted one from ecoaquatics a while back I could try out possibly.
 
3/8" should fit over the MaxiJet outlet. The one going into my calcium reactor has a fitting glued/wedged into it that came with the setup. I don't know where it came from originally, but that tubing is more like 1/4".
 
i have been having good luck with my consistency now that I have a MJ1200 hooked up to it.

New question though: When having the ball valve on the output rather than input, the water level in the "air-exchanger" (think that is what it is called anyway... the top portion where co2 enters into the main chamber) portion goes all the way to the top. This stops the air/co2-bubbles you get otherwise from scurrying through the main chamber as co2 bubbles fizzle. Am I still getting a good enough performance out of it when this happens? i.e. is the internal flow pump still working at full strength at this point?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top